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101.1 FM signed on in 1948 as WXYZ-FM. For most of the station's early years, the station was simply a simulcast of WXYZ AM 1270 (now WXYT AM). That changed in 1966, when the FCC decreed separate programming for at least half of the broadcast day on FM stations that had previously been simulcasts of their AM sisters. WXYZ-FM separated programming and aired first a MOR/adult standards format, then later went to a rock-based Top 40 approach called "Boss 101," which featured mostly harder rock hits with little to no pop or soul product. Then in 1970, the station's then-owner, ABC made WXYZ-FM an affiliate of the "Love" network, a nationally syndicated underground rock format from ABC that predated today's satellite-fed radio formats (another "Love" affiliate was sister WLS-FM in Chicago). WXYZ-FM hired at least one local jock for this format - Arthur Penhallow.

On February 14, 1971, the station changed its call letters to WRIF. ABC had originally applied for WDAI (for Detroit Auto Industry) for WXYZ-FM,[5] but the FCC assigned those to WLS-FM instead. The WRIF calls were originally requested for WABC-FM in New York.

The 1980s was probably the decade that saw the most change in the Detroit radio dial. Among other changes, a new rocker was installed on 98.7 FM, WLLZ "Detroits Wheels", and it proved so popular that it took out two other Detroit rock stations. WWWW went country in 1980, and WABX flipped to a CHR format called "Hot Rock" in 1983, and then went adult contemporary as WCLS. But WRIF soldiered on, even though it was sold twice in the 1980s and its rock format was on the chopping block more than once (rumors persisted in the late 1980s that the station was to switch to an urban contemporary format, especially after the debut of classic rock WCSX in 1987). In May 2006, WRIF outlasted yet another rock station but with a twist. 106.7 "The Drive" switched to country (this time as "106.7 The Fox") just as it did back in 1980 when it was known as "W4".

In the early 1990s, the FCC began to permit one entity to own two stations on the same band in the same market for the first time. As a result, in 1994, Greater Media, who already owned Detroit's classic rocker WCSX, purchased WRIF from Citicasters. They own the station to this day.

The late 1970s brought WRIF listeners to "J.J. And The Morning Crew" which consisted of Jimmy "J.J." Johnson, Lynne Woodison, and George Baier (better known as Richard T. Bruiser or Dick the Brusier). In their prime, they were well known with doing news, weather, playing rock, and creating parody songs with their own versions of timeless rock hits such as Question Mark and the Mysterians' "96 Tears" with "96 Beers", The J. Geils Band's "Freeze Frame" with "Beer Frame", Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55" with "I Can't Drive 25", and their own version of Gary Numan's "Cars" with "Bars", the show is also known for lampooning NBC's longest running show, "Meet the Press" with "Meet the Bruiser". But despite WRIF's playing rock and disco songs, J.J. and the Morning Crew created "D.R.E.A.D." which is short for "Detroit Rockers Engaged In The Abolition of Disco". J.J. and the Morning Crew left WRIF in the mid-1980s and moved their morning show to the now defunct WLLZ. (In the mid 1990s, J.J. and the Morning Crew would go on to WRIF's soon to be sister station WCSX). J.J. now hosts middays at WOMC.

In 1991, WRIF hired a new morning team from Phoenix, AZ - Drew & Zip. Zip was gone by 1994, and was replaced by local personality Mike Clark. Drew and Mike went on to become the #1 rated morning show in Detroit. In September 2007, Drew Lane left WRIF for an indefinite length of time to take care of his girlfriend who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. In April 2008, it was announced that Lane would not be returning to WRIF. The show was then renamed "Mike In The Morning" and was hosted by Clark and Marc Fellhauer, and features Trudi Daniels with the "WRIF Rock & Roll Radio News," and Jamie Samuelsen[7] on sports reports. On July 13, 2009, Lane returned to WRIF to once again team up with Mike Clark.[8] The show's name reverted to "Drew and Mike In The Morning," sometimes referred to as "The Drew and Mike Show," but is mostly just shortened to "Drew and Mike." Lane now does sports news for the show as well. Fellhauer, Daniels, and Mike Wolters still remain with the show. In May 2013, it was announced that Greater Media had not renewed the contract for Drew and Mike in the Morning, with the final Drew and Mike show airing on May 17. On May 28, Dave and Chuck "The Freak" of 89X took over morning drive. Since then, Trudi Daniels teamed up with WRIF alum Kenny "K.C." Calvert to form "The K.C. And Trudi Morning Show" which made its debut on WCSX that summer, while Drew Lane moved to afternoons on sister station WMGC-FM in August 2013.

In the November 2010 PPM ratings release, WRIF ranks as the #11 (PPM rated) radio station in the Detroit market. WRIF's format, according to Arbitron, is Active Rock, and includes a wide variety of modern rock and classic hard rock.

The syndicated radio show "The Chop Shop" originates from WRIF and airs on Sunday mornings. Other shows that air on WRIF during the weekend include the nationally-syndicated Dee Snyder-hosted "The House of Hair", "The Sixx Sense's Sideshow Countdown" hosted by Mötley Crüe's very own Nikki Sixx and Jenn Marino on Sunday nights from 9:00-11:00 PM, and WRIF/WCSX's Nightcall, hosted by original WRIF jock himself, Peter Werbe and his co-host Juline "The Mayorness" Jordan. WRIF/WCSX's Nightcall can be heard live Sunday nights on both WRIF and WCSX and they are streamed live on WRIF's website.

Mark Pennington is WRIF's DJ and Program Director. Andy Green is WRIF's DJ and assistant Program Director. And Jade Springart is WRIF's DJ and Music Director.